1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to oral hygiene and, more specifically, to a device for the controlled dispensing of an oral antiseptic or mouthwash that is easily refillable. This device eliminates the multiple steps needed or required to obtain mouthwash directly from a commercial mouthwash bottle.
The device includes a housing and lid having an inner cavity for the controlled containment and dispensing of an oral antiseptic or mouthwash that can be poured into the cavity, with said housing having a transparent longitudinally extending strip of transparent material that is integral of the housing to serve as a display for the user to determine the remaining amount of the contained liquid or amount of liquid dispensed into a receptacle. Additionally the user may control the retention or release of the contained liquid by a plurality of possible methods being of but not limited to a mechanical or electrical nature that may or may not be recessed or presented with a base/platform used for the placement or guidance of a mouthwash receptacle to the dispensing position.
The housing of the present invention may be typically a cubic, cylindrical or rectangular form made of material capable of efficient containment of a liquid mouthwash or oral antiseptic. Embodiments including an electrical based valve or gate activation means may include an additional integral or separately constructed control housing to contain the necessary components required to operate the dispensing components. Dispensing of the contained mouthwash may be achieved by a plurality of methods including a valve assembly having a control handle or button to manipulate a sealing element that functions to selectively close or release the contained substance, or a spout and retention gate that may be disposed into an open or closed position by the pushing or angularly displacing a control lever, or activating a motion detecting means such an electric eye that activates a switch that supplies power to an actuator or an unpowered series of mechanical linkages that can be set in motion by application of an applied force upon the control lever.
Additional elements of the present invention include modifications upon the form and structure of the housing or housings, these modifications being areas whereby the said housing may be attached to a wall by a fastening means and/or the housing can be additionally modified to present a platform for the guidance or placement of a receptacle into position during dispensing while the present invention is attached to a wall, and a dispenser for the storage and release of receptacles to allow the user to selectively dispense the receptacles for use with the present invention when desired.
The housing may be transparent or translucent to provide a visual indicator referencing the quantity of fluid in the reservoir or a vertical indicator window may be provided. Furthermore, the housing member is decorative and may have any number of available colors or patterns and may be shaped to resemble objects of interest such as a house or a space shuttle to further enhance the aesthetic qualities thereof.
2. Description of the Prior Art
There are other oral hygiene devices designed for mouthwash or oral antiseptic. Typical of these is U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,384,687; 2,609,122; 3,434,629; 3,604,592; 15,193; 5,275,305; 5,713,492; and 6,244,470.
In a product dispensing apparatus, a bin having a slidable valve controlling the outlet thereof, a hopper below and removably associated with the bin and having a valve controlled inlet, a slidable product receiving member in the hopper, means for retaining the member at varying determined positions relative to the valve in the hopper means for releasing said retaining means to permit the gravitating of the member through the hopper, means for limiting the movement of the member in such direction, and means for discharging the products from the member when the latter is in the lowered position.
Dentifrice cabinet comprising a base constituting a shelf and formed with a downwardly extending boss having a threaded bore open at upper and lower ends, a depending flange along a front edge of the shelf formed with an opening opposite the front portion of said boss, the boss being formed with transversely positioned opposed front and rear openings aligned with the opening in said flange, a hollow adapter screwed into the bore of said boss and open at upper and lower ends and formed in front and rear portions with openings with the openings of the boss, said adapter adapted to support a container in an inverted vertical position, and a flat strip transversely slidable through the aligned openings of the flange and the boss and the adapter and formed with an opening, the outer end of said strip being bent downwardly and forming a handle for sliding the strip transversely from a closed position in blocking relation to the hollow adaptor to an opened position in which its opening registers with the adaptor for allowing flow of material downwardly through and out of the adaptor.
A liquid dispenser comprising a housing with a vertical compartment open at both top and bottom, a removable dispensing unit in the bottom of the compartment as a closure therefore, and with a receptacle for seating the neck of an inverted bottle containing the liquid, removeable supporting means for said unit, the mouth of the bottle covered by a fragile seal, means in the receptacle bottom puncturing the seal on said seating, a liquid-dispensing conduit extending in a lateral direction from said seal-puncturing means being a flat screw head with an upward cluster of barbs, and the screw bored to communicate with said conduit.
A combination cup and liquid dispenser with a tank body made of translucent preferably plastic material for dispensing a variety of liquids. The tank body has a service cap closing an access opening permitting easy cleaning and maintenance. A metal clip is removably mounted on the tank body forming a cup holder and dispenser in cooperation with the tank body. The tank body and clip may be mounted inside a cabinet for normal use by a metal-retaining clip and may be removed easily for refilling and cleaning.
A housing is attached to a restroom wall. Inside the housing is a first means that can release the bottom cup from a stack of disposable cups stored in the housing. A second means can introduce mouthwash inside the released cup when operated. A conventional tube of toothpaste is supported in a frame inside the housing, in a vertical, downwardly pointed position. Both the first and second means are controlled by push buttons that are located on the front of the housing. Another push button located on the front of the housing can cause the toothpaste tube to be squeezed when pressed, causing toothpaste to be squeezed downwardly out of the tube.
A liquid dispenser, for dispensing discreet amounts of a liquid, such as a mouthwash, comprised of a container for a supply of a liquid and a base member which may be attached to the container in a horizontal position to provide for a free standing condition of the assembly, or, in a vertical position for suspension from a pair of screws preset in a wall. A double acting valve, provided with a laterally extending release bar, is disposed at the bottom of the container, said valve being normally spring urged into a closing relation with a discharge port in the bottom of a dose cup, fixed relative to the bottom end of the container. When the top edge of a receptacle such as a drinking glass or paper cup is pressed upwardly against the release bar, the valve is moved from the discharge port of the dose cup permitting the liquid therein to flow into the drinking glass or other receptacle, and the valve is moved into a closing relation with a discharge port opening from the container into the dose cup. When the glass or other receptacle is removed from the release bar, the dose cup port is again closed and the container port is reopened to replenish the dose cup with a discreet amount of liquid from the container.
A device arranged to include a plurality of containers mounted within a unitary housing, with a first and second container including storage for toothpaste container structure, as well as drinking cups respectively. The housing includes a third container slidably mounting a slide wall therewithin mounting toothbrushes and the like thereon, with the slide wall operative by a dental floss container slidably mounted to a front wall of the housing. A mouthwash dispenser is mounted at an intersection of the first side wall and fluid container utilizing a valve member to effect dispensing of predetermined quantities of mouthwash fluid therefrom.
A refillable or disposable mouthwash and cup dispensing system incorporating a handle effect from the dispenser and cooperating with a wall mounted bracket to simplify removal and refilling. A mechanism for conserving the taps from dispensable units is disclosed.
The mouthwash dispensing device includes a frame having first and second reservoirs secured thereto, the first reservoir having a first port and the second reservoir having a second port, the first and second reservoirs adapted to contain mouthwash therein. A valve assembly is associated with the first and second reservoirs for selectively gating the first and second ports. An actuating assembly is associated with the valve for opening and closing the ports to release mouthwash from the reservoirs in response to user manipulation. The frame is adapted to store both drinking cups and a bottle of mouthwash therein. A locking cover is provided to restrict access to the stored cups and mouthwash.
A measured quantity liquid dispenser including a liquid supply container and an attached liquid dispensing chamber. The dispensing chamber has a hinged lid with a locking ledge. A slide plate is moveable between a first position where flow of liquid between the supply container and the dispensing chamber is prevented and the lid of the dispensing chamber is unlocked, and a second position where flow is permitted between the supply container and the dispensing chamber and the lid of the dispensing chamber is locked. The liquid dispenser is inverted with the slide plate moved to the second position to refill the dispensing chamber. The dispenser is especially useful to limit a child""s use of a liquid composition such as mouthwash or shampoo.
While these oral hygiene devices may be suitable for the purposes for which they were designed, they would not be as suitable for the purposes of the present invention, as hereinafter described.
A primary object of the present invention is to provide a refillable mouthwash dispenser having a housing with a removable lid and spout for the selective containment and dispensing of mouthwash.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a mouthwash dispenser having a transparent display for monitoring the amount of mouthwash contained and dispensed from the housing.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a mouthwash dispenser that may be mounted to a wall for home or commercial use.
Still yet another object of the present invention is to provide a mouthwash dispenser having a plurality of possible dispensing means including a valve assembly with a control handle, control lever or electric eye.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a mouthwash dispenser having either a mechanical or electrical means for selectively positioning a retention gate into an open or closed position, thereby allowing or preventing the flow of mouthwash.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a mouthwash dispenser having a receptacle dispenser integral with the outer surface of the housing providing easy access by the user to a plurality of disposable or reusable mouthwash receptacles.
Still yet another object of the present invention is to provide a mouthwash dispenser having a base/platform to provide an area where the user may rest their mouthwash receptacle and to serve as a guide for proper placement of the receptacle during dispensing operations.
Still another objective of the present invention is to provide a mouthwash dispenser having a fill spout to accommodate a disposable mouthwash bottle equipped with a seal on it""s neck wherein said seal is punctured by a piercing element during insertion into the fill spout.
Additional objects of the present invention will appear as the description proceeds.
The present invention overcomes the shortcomings of the prior art by providing a mouthwash dispenser having a housing with a removable lid and compartment whereby mouthwash may be placed therein and contained until selectively dispensed by the user by means of either a mechanical or electrically operated retention gate or valve assembly that may be operated or activated by means of a control handle, control lever or electrical presence sensing means such as an electric eye. Additionally the present invention provides a housing having a transparent display that allows the user to observe the amount of contained and or dispensed mouthwash remaining in the housing, also the housing may include a receptacle dispenser for the easy accessibility, for the user to gain access to a plurality of disposable or reusable mouthwash receptacles, and structural features that allow for the present invention to be mounted to a wall for home or commercial use.
The foregoing and other objects and advantages will appear from the description to follow. In the description reference is made to the accompanying drawing, which forms a part hereof, and in which is shown by way of illustration specific embodiments in which the invention may be practiced. These embodiments will be described in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice the invention, and it is to be understood that other embodiments may be utilized and that structural changes may be made without departing from the scope of the invention. In the accompanying drawing, like reference characters designate the same or similar parts throughout the several views.
The following detailed description is, therefore, not to be taken in a limiting sense, and the scope of the present invention is best defined by the appended claims.